Harm prevention in Saudi Arabia

IOSH has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  

The organisations will seek to collaborate in a number of areas. These include pushing forward a training programme on workplace health and safety, aiming to reduce work-related fatalities, injuries and ill health across the country. 

IOSH is the chartered global membership body for occupational safety and health professionals. It is also a not-for-profit organisation and charity with a vision of a safe and healthy world of work for all. NIOSH is part of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH). 

The agreement was officially signed at a ceremony involving IOSH President Kelly Nicoll and NCOSH Secretary General Engineer Majed bin Ibrahim Al-Fuwaiz. It took place during the 7th Global Occupational Safety and Health Conference (GOSH7) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the start of May. 

As well as the training programme, IOSH will support other initiatives to boost worker protection. It comes as Saudi Arabia faces a huge construction programme for the World Expo (2030), the men’s football World Cup (2034) and other major projects. The agreement aligns with its Vision 2030, to create a thriving economy where everyone can succeed. 

Majed bin Ibrahim Al-Fuwaiz said the signing “marks a significant step toward strengthening strategic international partnerships in this vital field”.  

He added: “This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to exchanging expertise and knowledge, and to developing scientific and training programmes that contribute to building safer and more efficient work environments. 

“At the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, we believe that this agreement will accelerate progress toward achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It will support national efforts to enhance safety standards, improve the competencies of the national workforce, and promote a culture of prevention in the workplace. We are confident that this partnership will serve as an effective model of international cooperation that yields tangible results on the ground.” 

The MoU with NIOSH is the latest development for IOSH in Saudi Arabia as it seeks to support the drive to prevent harm to workers. IOSH has been working with a number of other organisations on major projects in the Kingdom, including with luxury tourism destination developer Red Sea Global. 

Kelly added: “Saudi Arabia seeks to deliver on several ambitious construction programmes over the next decade. IOSH is here to support and work closely with relevant organisations and bodies to deliver these projects safely.”